Trick of the Light
by wankydoodle
Summary: Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or maybe smth else. Arthur Hellsing recalls the past on a summer's day.


Thanks for the reviews, you wonderful people. :)

A sunny Hellsing fanfic, simply cos I felt like it.

Feel free to rate and review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing.

**Trick of the Light**

"Integra, could you please come down."

The tall man in the khaki suit stood below the low oak tree that grew in a corner of the garden, his eyes turned upwards towards its leafy boughs. It stood upright against the blue of the sky, and the majestic green crown seemed to ripple with the breeze. Sunbeams streamed through the gaps in the leaves, casting ever-shifting patterns of light and dark upon his pale face.

It was a splendid sunny day, a brief respite from the usually gloomy weather. Such was the warmth that came with the English summer, and as always, it tended to make young hearts restless.

"No!" came the sharp answer, somewhere just above his head. This was followed by a light chuckle. Something moved in the thick foliage above him. Then all was silent again. There was no sound except for the swishing of the leaves and the low hum of bees from a flowering shrub nearby.

Arthur Hellsing sighed, turning to the young man beside him as he did so. The person in question was dressed in a white shirt, black vest and pants. His hair was cropped close to his head, and it formed a glossy black cap against his skull.

"Walter, how long has she been up there?"

"For about an hour now. I've tried to coax her to come down for tea, but she refuses to listen to me. I am sorry, Sir Hellsing."

"It's all right. She can be a handful sometimes."

The older man turned his head up and squinted through the greenery. He could vaguely make out a darker shape crouched low on a thick branch. Flicking back a strand of pale blond hair that had slipped in front of his azure eyes, he called out.

"Integral Wingates Hellsing! Get down here right now!"

Silence greeted him, but he thought he could hear what appeared to be a poorly stifled giggle.

"Integra, don't make me come up and get you. You know I used to do this too." His tone was severe this time, and he allowed something akin to a low growl to creep into his voice. He usually talked this way when commanding armies, and sometimes when he needed to discipline his rambunctious young daughter.

There was a slight pause, and only the chirping of crickets reached his ear.

However, the apparent silence was finally broken. A high, childish voice called out to him.

"All right, Father. I'm coming down."

There was some crashing of leaves and twigs, followed by a soft thud behind him. Arthur turned around to face the mischievous youngster that had literally dropped down from above.

Clear blue eyes that were so much like his own stared back at him out of a sweaty face. There was a leaf or twolodged in the long hair that cascaded down her back. It made the young girl look more like a wood nymph than a person. Her clothes, a white blouse and a dark blue skirt, were wrinkled and slightly dirty. She pushed up the glasses that had slipped down her nose.

"Integra Hellsing, will you stop this nonsense. Climbing trees isn't a proper thing for a nine year-old girl to do."

The dishevelled-looking girl scowled back at him, stubborn as ever.

"I like it, Father. I do it all the time. I can look out over the gardens from up there. I can even spot the soldiers."

The older Hellsing sighed in exasperation, his eyes closing before he cracked them open again. His mouth formed a downward curve of displeasure.

"I don't have time to come running after you every time you disappear. I have lots of important things to do."

"Like fighting the bad men with the soldiers."

"Yes, something like that."

The young Hellsing looked up at him, her gaze locked on his face. She didn't like to upset her father, and she could tell he was disturbed. For a brief moment after that last statement, a shadow seemed to fall upon his visage. It passed swiftly though, but her quick eyes did not fail to take notice of it. She stiffened slightly, then bowed her head low.

"I am sorry, Father, to have caused you so much trouble."

She heard him sigh, and then his voice softened a little.

"Go get cleaned up Integra. We'll have tea on the balcony."

"Yes, Father."

The little girl walked over to the base of the tree, and from somewhere among its gnarled roots, retrieved a book. She had obviously been reading when a fit of sudden playfulness had overtaken her. Perhaps it was the sight of the unusual blue sky and the wave of heat that clung to the air. Integra didn't know. However, if it upset her father that badly, then she resolved never to do such a thing ever again.

"Come, Lady Hellsing. Let's go get you washed up."

With that last thought in her head, she took Walter's hand and trotted back to the house, happily chatting to him about her latest fencing lesson.

Arthur's eyes followed their progress, an unreadable expression on his face. He faced the tree again, reaching out a hand to feel the rough bark, his fingers tracing every crack.

A sudden wind picked up, and invisible hands tousled his hair and shook the tree. The shadows came alive once more, flicking back and forth as it danced with the sunlight. Through half-lidded eyes, he could make out a phantom figure standing on the far side of its trunk.

Golden rays fell upon her caramel skin, and it seemed to glow with ethereal light. The ebony of her laughing eyes matched the raven black hair that fell to her shoulders in gentle waves. The sunshine glinted off the gold thread sewn into the twilight blue cloth that was thrown over one shoulder, the rest of it wrapped around her slim figure to form a skirt. The folds of the light material shifted with the breeze over the matching top she wore, the end of the over-the-shoulder scarf lifting slightly.

"Oh Devi, if only you were here," he whispered into the moving air, his hand falling heavily to his side.

The woman said nothing in response, but just stood there, her dark eyes regarding him with amusement. She seemed to be solid yet indistinct, the figment of a wistful daydream.

Finally, the Hellsing Director squared his shoulders and turned his back on the memory. It was so long ago, but yet the pain of loss was still fresh on mind and heart. He strode resolutely across the grass, even as ghostly laughter resonated in his head. .

It finally faded away, mingling with the sounds of a sunny day so similar to another one many years ago.

THE END

This was inspired by another fic involving Integra's mother. I thought I'd have a go at it too. She's wearing a sari, of course.

Don't really know why I made Integra climb a tree. Haha. But I imagine her to be a more rough-and-tumble sort of gal. She has to be more rugged to command Hellsing later on. To make her overly girly and then tough overnight would be downright schizophrenic.

I'm thinking of doing some fics involving young Integra. There's already so much speculation involving the end of the manga/anime, but the time before the start of the series is still relatively untouched. ;)


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